Top of the line corrosion (TLC) is a prominent issue in the production of wet gas costing
many millions of dollars every year in the replacement of affected pipelines and chemical
inhibition. The effect of condensation rate on the inhibition efficiency and persistency of
batch and continual treatment corrosion inhibitors is studied using a cooled tube technique.
Results show a direct relationship between the persistency of batch treatment corrosion
inhibitors and the condensation rate. Batch treatments at condensation rates below the
critical water condensation rate were found to promote active localised corrosion. A novel
continuous treatment corrosion inhibitor with a combined volatile component illustrated
good inhibition and may provide a method of corrosion control that does not require the
interruptions associated with conventional batch treatment methods.
Keywords: Top of the line corrosion, corrosion inhibitor, batch treatment, continuous
treatment, condensation rate